The first electric car manufactured by iconic Italian automaker Ferrari has sold at auction to a US-based billionaire for $US40 million ($A56 million), with the entirety of the proceeds going to charity.
Ferrari unveiled its first electric vehicle (EV) in May to what could charitably be called “mixed” reviews. The Luce, which is expected to boast a price tag somewhere around the $A900,000 mark, is also the carmaker’s first five-seat, four-door sedan, even though it also offers a combined output of 772 kilowatts (kW) and maximum torque of 999Nm – and 11,500Nm at the wheels.
Despite the mixed reception, US billionaire Herbert A. Wertheim secured the first production chassis from the Ferrari Luce program, known as “Chassis 0”, at the Monterey Auction held by RM Sotheby’s for $US40 million.
The Luce was reportedly estimated pre-auction to go for $US1.1 million.
Ferrari regularly sell its cars at auction to raise money for charity. For example, in 2016, Ferrari sold a final Ferrari LaFerrari at auction to raise money for those affected in Italy by earthquakes. A year later, a Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta was sold at auction for $US10 million to raise money for the Save the Children charity.
Last year, a one-off Ferrari Daytona SP3 was sold at auction – also reportedly to Wertheim – for $US26 million for the Ferrari Foundation in support of educational initiatives.
Chassis 0 of the Ferrari Luce is not just the first production chassis, but also a ‘Tailor Made’ build that has been “uniquely configured” including a special exterior livery of “Madreperla Semi-Gloss finish, developed specifically for this car, over an interior in Perla Le Mans metallic leather in Perla with Grigio Corvara secondary elements.”
According to RM Sotheby’s, the car also features “exclusive finishing details including dedicated wheels, bespoke brake callipers, and the Ferrari logo set against an optical white background.”
Reuters reported on Monday that Wertheim won’t be driving Chassis 0 anytime soon, as the car will head back to Maranello for final assembly for delivery sometime during the first quarter of next year.
